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While the federal government often entices states to promote its agenda by promising “free” federal money for the states that adopt their programs, this money is never free, and always comes with strings attached. When the federal government offers “free” money for a program it is really just hoping to get the states hooked on the program before the giveaways disappear, much like a drug dealer who offers you the first hit for free.

ObamaCare's individual mandate and bailouts aren't enough for the health insurance industry. The looming expiration of the two-year Medicaid payment increase has, once again, put health insurers on the same side as President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, who want to extend the payments to doctors.

The Obama administration continues boast of the rise in Medicaid enrollees. Just before Christmas, for instance, Cindy Mann, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, hailed as a "milestone achievement" the addition of 9.7 million Americans to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) since October 2013.

ObamaCare is perpetuating one of the most glaring problems in the American healthcare system: the doctor shortage that the country faces. Provider networks for health plans on the exchanges are already known for their limited networks, which is a way health insurance companies hold down costs, but the shortage of primary care physicians is exacerbating the problem, as the Associated Press explains:

In his 2006 book, Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama, then the junior senator from Illinois, explained that "perhaps our most pressing task is to fix our broken healthcare system," adding that "the two main government-funded healthcare programs -- Medicare and Medicaid -- really are broken." During the early stages of the healthcare reform debate in 2009, he again emphasized these two "broken" programs.

In 2011, with bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans, Cover Oregon was ushered in as the vanguard of the state based healthcare exchanges encouraged by the Affordable Care Act. Instead of resisting the Obamacare mandate, the Oregon legislature doubled down on Obamacare, with the encouragement of our Democrat Governor, former ER doctor John Kitzhaber. Despite innumerable warnings from grassroots activists that the project was doomed to failure, most Republicans in the legislature were persuaded to go along. Now, Oregon is saying goodbye to the terminally ill Cover Oregon, after millions in wasted taxpayer money, FBI investigations, lawsuits and political fallout that will be felt for years to come.

Fewer and fewer doctors in the US are self-employed, and more employed by hospitals. That is a direct result of government policy, sharply accelerated by Obamacare. The trend will be damaging to American health care. It is still possible to reverse the decline, but powerful forces want it to continue.

Conservatives were right to warn that Governor John Kasich’s embrace of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion would increase government spending and hurt Ohio’s labor force, a February 4 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report affirms.States still being pressured to take "free" Medicaid expansion money from DC should learn from Kasich's mistake.

Democracy and Power 105: The Politician Seeks PowerThe desire to rule is the mother of heresies. —St. John ChrysostomIn America, a politician intentionally selects to enter politics. They seek power in the name of public good, but predominately they seek power. When a person enters Congress or the Presidency, they seek and use the coercive power of government.